The great Uprising had come. The world stood utterly aghast at the
spectacle of the plain rustics throwing down the plough and shouldering
the axe against their rightful lords and masters. The bravest warriors
shrank affrighted before the poorly accoutred insurgents, for the
terror of a new Idea was upon them. What was this strange force that
was turning upside down the recognized laws of society? Behind the
rusty, cracked weapons of the mob stalked the spectre of a coming
Democracy. No wonder that the most hardened warriors quailed at the
thought of fighting an intangible foe. No wonder that the most skilful
captains lost their heads and stood agape.
Ah, where was that orderly assembly of which Annys had so fondly
dreamed? That assembly of fifty thousand strong gathering together from
all parts of the realm to appear in all loyalty and obedience before
their King?
In the close he paced up and down in feverish excitement. The moment
toward which for so long his eyes had been strained had at last
arrived. Without him the people were assembling and marching on to seek
the King and have their wrongs redressed. Without him--yes, and without
his restraining touch. What he had dreaded, then, had happened--the
wild beast which had slumbered for so long within the breasts of the
rustics was now awake and growling forth its rage. The forces of greed
and revenge, of hatred and envy, were unloosed upon society, and no one
apparently had the power to chain them again.
"Behold, we are honest men"--he had dreamed they would say--"working
and travailing from dawn to sunset, and with but little in our stomachs
and less on our backs. Thus do we labor, valued at less than our
master's sheep, and hardly as much as his swine. Yet, nevertheless, are
we men created in the divine image of God, as Holy Writ tells us, men
even like unto you, O King, alike born and buried and taken up into
immortality or cast down into the pit of hell. We are judged, not by
the extent of our possessions by the Great Judge of the Universe, but
by that which lieth in our hearts. We want, O King, to be free men. We
ask that there be no further serfs in all England. Let all work be free
and willing and it will be the better for us all--for our masters as
well as for us."
Was there no one in all the broad land to restrain the people from
violence and tell them that they were ruining their own cause? No
one? A voice whispered within him that there had been one, but he had
deserted the cause and withdrawn himself into a monastery, and was more
concerned with the doings of the Past, alack! than the moulding of the
Future.
Yet surely he could not be the only one. He shrank from realizing to
the full the consequences of his own action. And Richard! Hot-headed,
misguided Richard at the head! It was terrible!
He must know the worst. Perhaps the accounts had been exaggerated.
Perhaps there was yet worse to come. In any case, as chronicler, it
was his duty to discover by what means the news had been brought. He
inquired of a brother, and learned that the news had been brought from
the Bury by a messenger who had lingered and insisted upon having
audience with the chronicler.
"With me? Some one seeks audience with me?" he asked uneasily.
He paced up and down restlessly while the other went to conduct the
messenger to him. Who could it be? he had cut himself so completely
from the world and its affairs.
He was amazed to recognize in the messenger young Robert Shepherd, whom
he had known at the Bury.
"Tell me," he began eagerly, "you are from the Bury. Is it so bad,
then? The Uprising has begun?"
"Begun? Ah, of a truth begun! There is no ending it now, save the whole
land lie at our feet!"
"But how comes it that Robert Shepherd brings the news, written by one
clearly against us?"
The lad reddened. "It was safer not to refuse the monk's request," he
said, "and it did no harm to the Cause. Let the monks rant as they
will. We have wrung the freedom of the town from them. They were all in
a panic. Besides," he added, "I bear with me also another message of
very different complexion."
But of this Annys took no heed. "Tell me," he urged, "Richard Meryl, my
friend, he was there, a leader among them--what of him?"
"Ah, do not ask me," faltered Shepherd. "It is too terrible."
Annys grasped one of the pillars for support. "What, Richard! hurt?
dead? quick, what has happened?"
"Yea, he is dead," answered the lad, solemnly.
For an instant Annys swayed. He placed one hand on his heart, and
closed his eyes. The other looked at him anxiously.
"Tell me all!" ordered Annys, hoarsely.
"It was terrible, yet it was fine too. He exposed himself recklessly,
and was caught, and they offered his freedom, if he would but persuade
his followers to give back the charters to the monks, and disperse in
orderly fashion to their homes."
"Ah! and he?"
"They led him, the next day, bound securely, to the market place, where
he addressed the men. Some of them looked up at him sullenly, and they
murmured threateningly, for they had been told that he had purchased
his life with their defeat.
"But he fooled them all, for he stood there looking proudly down upon
them, with the sky no bluer than his eyes, and his fair hair curled as
a little child's low over his brow and neck. Ah, I tell you an Ave rose
to my lips--for I never once doubted him--as I saw him standing there,
so brave, so glorious--"
"Ah, I wist well how glorious!" groaned Annys, brokenly.
"And no sooner was there silence than he cried out clearly so that all
could hear:--
"'Fellows! Take no thought for my trouble, for if I die, I shall die
for the cause of Freedom which we have won, counting myself happy to
end my life by such a martyrdom. Do, then, to-day as ye would have
done, had I been killed yesterday.'"
"My brave Richard! And then?"
"And then an axe crashed through his skull. But his murderers did not
live long enough to gloat over their work."
"Richard, my brother! That I had died for thee!"
The lad was deeply affected by his own recital. He remained silent an
instant and then said suddenly:--
"But I waste precious time. I bear an urgent message from Matilda that
you should go at once to Ely."
"To Ely? I? Wherefore?"
"Her message I committed to memory, word for word: 'It is too late to
do aught at the Bury, but fly to Ely, that the people can be saved from
grave danger.'"
"How knows she this?"
"Her cousin Rose sent to her from Ely, from the Castle."
"Rose at the Castle?"
"Knew you not she has long been the Baron's favorite?"
"My God! I cannot go there!"
"But it must be. Her message to Matilda ran that no one but Robert
Annys could save the people."
"Ah, that I could save them!" His head drooped. "Alas, alas, I have
forfeited that right. They would not listen to a monk. They would spurn
me."
"Nay, trust Matilda for that. Until this day I thought--and all
thought--Robert Annys was in Kent."
"How can that be?" he asked, bewildered. "She knew where I was."
"Aye, but she always hoped you would come back to us, and kept your
place ready for you. 'Tis only to place yourself again at our head!"
Annys was stirred to the depths at this revelation of Matilda's
devotion. Ah, this was the true heart he had wounded, the love he had
turned from!
"Well, God grant thee right!" he said. "I pray so."
"Here is a minstrel's garb and badge," said Shepherd, "sent by Rose to
gain admission unquestioned to the Castle, for the gentles are greatly
incensed against all poor priests, at whose door they do lay all the
mischief. The Baron is engaged in securing minstrels from all over
England for his great feast. Approach as one of those."
"A feast? Wherefore gives he a feast, just at this time?"
"In honor of his bride who--"
"His bride? I thought--and what of Rose?" stammered Annys.
"Oh, Rose Westel will get lovers a plenty while men walk the earth who
have two eyes in their head."
"Peace, peace, enough, fellow!"
"Will you go to Ely Castle?"
"Go? You say I can save the people from grave danger. Then all the
abbots in Christendom could not hold me!"
And as he crossed the stone walk of the cloister, he walked with a
firmer tread and held his head higher than at any time since he had
entered the Abbey of St. Dunstan.